Italy

Italy is the unsung hero of European skiing for families. The Dolomites are the most spectacular mountain range in the Alps, the Dolomiti Superski pass covers 1,200km of pistes across 12 ski areas (more than anywhere else in the world), the slopes are characteristically wide, sunny, and beginner-friendly, and we think the on-mountain food is the best in the Alps by a comfortable margin. Lunch at an Italian rifugio is an event in itself, and you should plan your day around it.

Why Italy works for family ski holidays

Italian ski resorts punch well above their weight when it comes to families. The slopes are typically gentler than the French equivalents, the sun exposure is generous (most resorts face south or south-east), and the food culture extends right up the mountain: a wooden-tabled rifugio at 2,500m will serve you fresh pasta, slow-cooked beef, and a glass of local wine for less than the cost of a self-service tray in Val Thorens.

Across the board prices haven't quite caught up with France either. A family week in the Dolomites typically comes in 20-30% cheaper than the equivalent in the Three Valleys, with the gap most noticeable on food, drink, and lift passes. For large family ski holidays, or multiple trips in a season, that adds up quickly.

The Dolomites: Skiing in the world's most beautiful mountains

The Dolomites are not just spectacular; they are spectacular in a completely different way to the Alps. The toothy limestone pinnacles, particularly around Cortina, Alta Badia, and Val Gardena, create a visual drama that genuinely improves the skiing experience. The Sellaronda circuit, a 40km loop around the Sella massif that you can ski in a single day, takes you past some of the most photographed mountain landscapes in the world.

The ski areas themselves are well-connected by lift but somewhat fragmented compared to French linked areas like the Three Valleys. The Dolomiti Superski pass solves this with a single ticket covering 12 separate areas: you'll need a car or local bus for some transfers, but the scale of available skiing is enormous.

The best ski resorts in Italy for families: Our two picks

Cortina d'Ampezzo and Cervinia are our two stand out picks for skiing in Italy, and they couldn't be more different:

• Cortina d'Ampezzo, the Pearl of the Dolomites and host of the 2026 Winter Olympics. A proper town with skiing as part of the wider winter holiday experience, where a four-hour lunch is unremarkable and the shopping is taken seriously.
• Cervinia, on the Italian side of the Matterhorn. High-altitude, sun-drenched, and gentle: one of the best resorts in the Alps for families with very young or beginner skiers, with the bonus of cross-border skiing into Zermatt for confident intermediates.

Each resort guide goes into detail on the ski area, the hotels we recommend, the dining highlights, and the practical considerations (transfers, season dates, what to know before you go).